The World Health Organization (WHO) has now put itself in the middle of an interesting international situation. The organization is calling for whole-plant marijuana, as well as cannabis resin, to be removed from Schedule IV - the most restrictive classification of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries from around the world, according to Forbes.

The legal cannabis industry had itself a year to remember in 2018. Although marijuana stocks were a mixed bag, the weed industry gained validation like never before following the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada. Rolling out the red carpet for cannabis will mean billions of dollars in added annual revenue, and it demonstrates that the cannabis industry is in no danger of disappearing.

Few, if any, industries are growing as quickly as legal cannabis. According to a co-authored report from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, global marijuana sales rose to $12.7 billion in 2018, and they're on track to hit $16.9 billion this year, representing 38% growth. By 2022, worldwide revenue is forecast to top $31 billion.

The Quebec Poison Control Centre says the number of reported cases of cannabis poisoning has more than tripled in the province since the drug was legalized last fall.

Symptoms of cannabis poisoning include elevated heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, vomiting and in some cases psychosis, possibly necessitating hospitalization.

The centre says that from October through December, it recorded 89 cases. For the same period last year, the centre only recorded 25 cases.

Canadian medical professionals are moving away from the term "cannabis overdose" because of the close association with critical drug overdose causing death.

Under Canada’s new impaired-driving laws, it’s a criminal offence to have “any detectable amount” of cocaine, methamphetamine, magic mushrooms, LSD, ketamine or PCP in your blood.

For decades, it has been a criminal offence to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs or both. Last December, when Bill C-46 came into force, the Department of Justice added specific limits for particular drugs.

“People just have no earthly idea about these regulations,” said Victoria criminal defence lawyer Michael Mulligan. “If police can detect it, you’re committing a crime. Any detectable amount, you’re guilty.”

The legalization of recreational marijuana across Canada in addition to several U.S. states has garnered a lot of attention as of late — and rightfully so.

Experts are forecasting that the Canadian market for recreational marijuana could reach as much as $10 billion annually within the next decade, and if you were to factor in the potential of a federally regulated U.S. market, that figure could literally go sky high (ahem).

But this Foolish writer has to wonder about the possibility that some of those same experts have been overlooking the role that a lesser-known substance — Cannabidiol, or “CBD” — could play in revolutionizing the way adults look at responsible cannabis consumption.

Canada’s cannabis legalization, while a historical event in the industry, hasn’t seen a particularly smooth transition over the past few months. Companies knew months in advance that demand for marijuana would be extreme once the substance became legal, yet despite best efforts from both private companies and regulators to ensure sufficient supply, chronic shortages have become routine problems in the country.

This is especially concerning for the Canadian government, which worries that is dispensaries don’t have enough cannabis to go around, people will instead turn to black market sources. However, Canada’s top politician in charge of cannabis legalization believes there is enough supply to go around in 2019.

The world is watching the Canadian cannabis market to see how legalization plays out in a relatively free-market landscape. One of the biggest questions: how will consumer tastes shape the fortunes of the so many new (and newly legal) cannabis producers and retailers?

After price, the most important consideration for purchase decisions is the type of cannabis products made available at a retailer, according to Deloitte’s most recent survey of Canada’s cannabis industry.

“Cannabis is illegal in most countries,” reads an official Canada travel advisory warning citizens that if they happen to pack pot for their next foreign trip, the “Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf.”

An independent cannabis retailer in Clarenville is closing shop after accusing suppliers of giving first dibs to larger corporate stores, along with a slew of other supply issues.

The manager of Puff Puff Pass Head Shop, one of six independent marijuana retailers in Newfoundland and Labrador, said it's impossible to compete in a market for an under-supplied product — especially when that product is being offered to corporate suppliers first.

"From our personal experience here, I know that at least two of the licensed producers have made special deals with the larger corporate sites," said manager Tina Greening.

"Right now, I have virtually nothing in stock … The Esso store here in my town got an entire shipment of product when I had nothing."